


Sleepless and Hopeless

by Gay_as_fuck



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Alcohol, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Mental Health Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, Slavery, Suicidal Thoughts, Team as Family, but they're free now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 19:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13277994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gay_as_fuck/pseuds/Gay_as_fuck
Summary: Varian is woken from a dream he should be worried about. Valeera dreams of the worst outcome. Broll does his best to be supportive.





	Sleepless and Hopeless

**Author's Note:**

> anyway I love love these losers they're so good, and all of them totally have depression.

On his best days, Varian would be granted kind dreams. In them he is always on his back, staring up at a cloudless blue sky. The sun caresses his scarred arms, someone softly speaks his name. Shalamayne fills the gaping hole in his chest and he is at peace. 

He lays like that for hours, feeling nothing but the soft embrace of light. He would only wake when his body was ready, after a long and restful night. The sun would greet him and his usual anxieties of the morning became the chirping of birds in the back of his mind. 

On a rare moment, he woke from one of those dreams while the moon still hung high in the sky. The sound that woke him was not one he was unaccustomed to. A half strangled scream that cut short. He knew the sound well because often he found himself making such a noise. 

For a moment, before he became aware of his surroundings, he considered that he might have been the origin. But no, he had been dreaming of a peaceful ending. Shaking his head he moved towards the door, someone else must have woken from a nightmare.

He began a mental tally of who could have startled him awake. They had to be close enough to his room for him to hear. He would have added “The kind of person who has nightmares” but that was all of the people he kept close to him. 

Even Anduin, his sweet son, was starting to wake at night. Varian had been similar as a child, waking from dreams of the city crumbling around him. His parents had been screaming, shouting “Come with us, Varian! Stay with us.” He had tried, in those dreams, he had run to them but something had pulled him back. 

The memory of such a dream brought a frown to Varian’s lips. Hopefully, Anduin was not having dreams like his. He pushed that thought aside when he heard footsteps from someone trying their best to be silent. He knew who it is right away, Broll must have woken up. He always tries to be quiet but his heavy build never allows it. 

Varian opened his door and entered the dark hallway. The chill that suddenly hit Varian reminded him that he probably should have put something more than his loincloth. Never mind then, Broll was in a similar situation. 

Broll was a mountain of a shadow with is glowing blue eyes aimed straight at Varian. 

“Varian? Are you alright?” the voice was a comforting rumble, one that always brought peace to Varian. The tone was another matter, confused and concerned. 

“It’s you I’m worried about. Did you dream of the Crimson Ring again?” Varian walked forward towards his friend. 

“No- I was not sleeping. I was looking over some of the scrolls when I heard someone. I thought it was you.” Broll cleared the short distance between himself and Varian. Placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“I was dreaming yes-” Varian started before pausing a moment to let himself pick out the right words. He did not want to admit to Broll what his dreams had been about. Broll would only worry himself.

“I was dreaming of peace.” Broll seemed to accept the answer with a nod. The conversation then quickly took a turn, if Broll had not woken in fear and neither had Varian then who? The answer was a simple one that quickly revealed itself. There was only one room between Broll and Varian. Valeera must have been the one to wake them. 

Broll knocked on Valeera’s door with a steady hand. The two waited in silence for a moment before Varian tried the door. It opened easily, bringing a frown to his face. Valeera would never leave her door unlocked.

Broll was already walking away towards the stairs. Varian followed suit while staying silent. Broll probably knew where she was. Varian had never been very good at figuring out what his friends were going to do next. 

When the found her, Varian at first didn’t see her. Broll had led him to the castle’s kitchens, a place Varian knew well but did not frequent. She was behind one of the tables, leaning back against a set of cabinets. 

Broll muttered a couple words under his breath and the room was suddenly full of light. Valeera’s silk bathrobe caught Varian’s eye right away. It was half skewed off but Valeera didn’t seem to care. She had a bottle of booze caught between her jaw and her teeth as she tried to tear the stopper out. 

She removed the bottle from her mouth but it didn’t leave her hands. Her brows furrowed while her eyes squinted in adjustment to the light. 

“Varian? Broll? Why aren’t you sleeping?” Her tone was the same one Broll had greeted Varian with earlier. 

“Someone screamed, it woke both of us up.” Was all Varian replied with, he didn’t add that they had quickly figured out it was her.

“Ah, no nightmares? Lucky you.” She snorted at that line and went back to trying to pull the stopper out. Varian sat down next to her and held out a hand. She signed and handed the bottle over which he quickly stuck between his teeth. 

“Why are you even trying that?” Broll asked as he sat on the other side of Valeera. They made a small circle of tired eyes and friendly faces. 

“I couldn’t get it open with my fingers.” Came Valeera’s reply, simple yet a very her thing to do. Varian was successful, pulling the bottle away with the stopper still between his teeth. A smile graced his features while a small laugh leaped from his throat. 

Valeera grabbed the bottle from her friend’s hand and took a swing as quickly as possible. After a moment she pulled her mouth away and set the bottle down between them.

“Fuck! That stuff is good.” Broll chuckled slightly at that, earning him a playful glare. Varian grabbed the bottle next and took a taste of himself.

“So this is what the mighty King of Stormwind had gotten to enjoy all his life.” Valeera elbowed Varian’s ribs with the comment. He did his best to bend to the side in an attempt to evade yet he failed.

“You need to work on your speed skills,” Broll commented in a deadpan. That left his two friends laughing, Varian putting down the bottle for Broll to pick up.

“This reminds me of our first night as friends,” Varian commented as he sat back up. They’re first night as friends had been after the third arena fight. Someone had thrown a bottle into the ring that had not shattered. Valeera had smuggled it out somehow and they had enjoyed it in their cage that night. Swapping stories and past mistakes that night had forged the bond that now had them awake together, drinking fine booze and laughing. 

“Val.” Broll started as he passed the bottle to her. “Are you alright?” There was quiet for a moment as Valeera finished her drink and put the bottle down.

“I dreamt of dying.” The short sentence were all the words that came out of Valeera’s mouth. She picked up the bottle again and took another swig before passing it to Varian. 

“I would tear everyone apart before I let them hurt you,” Varian growled, angry at the demons that plagued one of his closest friends. 

“So would I.” Broll followed up thought it only drew an angry growl from Valeera. Broll’s eyebrows scrunched down at the noise.

“You don’t get it!” She yelled, before growling again and slamming her hand against the ground. Neither of her companions said anything, instead they let her take her time with another sentence.

“It was our last battle except we didn’t make it out. You both were there, laying on the ground, guts spilling out of you. I tried to save you but before I could do anything-” Her voice dipped down into a dangerous growl. Tears pricked at the edge of her eyes. “Someone took your gunts and strangled me with them.” 

There was nothing anyone could say to that. Varian scrambled to his knees and hugged her close. Broll followed suit, wrapping both of them up in his dark arms. 

“We’re here now.” Broll tried to comfort Valeera but to no avail, instead, she just growled out through her now steady tears.

“Not for long.” Varian did his best to pull the two of them closer to him as she said that. He hated to see the two people in the world he was closed too so sad and angry. 

“If we die, we all die together,” Varian said softly, the words were a simple declaration that was years old. Back when they had been caged and passing whispers over a cheap bottle of booze Valeera had said those words to him. He had been broken and confused, unsure of who he was or what he needed to do. 

Now they sat together, a pile of toned arms and exhausted hearts. It was almost a sad sight, three of the most powerful people in the world collapsed in a broken pile. Yet things were the same as they had always been. 

Broll and Valeera had saved Varian then, and he would do his best to save them now.


End file.
